Kidnapped for Love
by kensi54382
Summary: Bishop is supposed to be joining her family for her brother's birthday when she is kidnapped. When she wakes up and finds herself in the Jake's presence, she is unsure of what to do. All she knows is Jake is hiding something, and if she wants to ever get back to her life, she needs to figure it out.
1. Chapter 1

"We'll see you in a few days, Bishop," said Gibbs as he dropped his youngest agent off at Dulles Airport. "Have a good time with your family."

"Thank you, Gibbs. I'm really glad you said yes to me going home for a while."

Gibbs smiled. "You are my agent, but you are also a friend. And I would never stop anyone from spending time with their family. Have a good flight."

Bishop waved goodbye and then headed into the airport. She was right on time for her flight.

* * *

Gibbs arrived home after dropping Bishop off at the airport. He headed down to his basement, intending on working on his latest project, a dollhouse for Tali when Tony finally returned to DC, but his gut wouldn't stop setting off alarm bells. He felt like something just wasn't right, even though he had absolutely no idea what that something was. He knew that McGee and Delilah were at home, and that Quinn was probably drinking in a bar somewhere. He knew Nick was at NCIS, having decided to stay late and catch up on his paperwork. Abby was bowling with her nun friends. So, what was the problem?

Ignoring his gut for the first time in forever, Gibbs set up his tools and went to work on the dollhouse. The only member of his team that he couldn't currently account for was Bishop, but he knew she was probably in the air, half an hour into her four hour flight home.

* * *

Bishop was happy when she finally landed in Oklahoma. Tulsa International Airport was hectic with people running around, trying to make their international flights or their connecting flights even though it was almost eleven pm. But the hustle and bustle of the airport was normal, and Bishop easily made her way out of the building and to the cab rank outside.

"Excuse me, are you free?" she asked the first cab driver.

"Sorry, ma'am. I'm booked. The next cab is free, I think," the driver said to Bishop.

With a smile, Bishop nodded and thanked the man. Then she moved off, finding the next cab to be empty of any passengers.

"Where to, madam?" the driver asked.

"Home. Sorry, 10 Mockingbird Lane, Claremore."

The driver nodded, amazed that Bishop hadn't even noticed who he was. "Very well." He indicated, then pulled out of his spot, heading towards Claremont, and the lovely barn he had picked out.

* * *

Bishop had fallen asleep by the time the cab pulled up to the barn. She hadn't noticed that the driver had gone right past her street, or that the drive had taken longer than the half hour it normally took.

"Madam," whispered the driver as he carefully picked her up and took her inside the abandoned farm's barn house.

Bishop didn't stir. She was exhausted after a long day and a long flight. The cab driver smiled as he put Bishop down onto the makeshift bed he had set up. He covered her with blankets, then sat down in a chair to watch her. He did not intend to hurt her, not at all. He loved her. But he also didn't want her to think he was insane, either. He had planned to make it look like they had both been kidnapped, and that he had been there longer than her so he could help her. Of course, she wasn't stupid. Even if she fell for it, she would quickly learn the truth. She would be mad with him, but after a few days, she would realise that she loved him too, and then she wouldn't be angry anymore.

* * *

Bishop woke up feeling refreshed, but uncomfortable. Truthfully, she couldn't remember getting home, but she figured that her dad would have probably just carried her up to her bed and left her to sleep. So when she opened her eyes, shock and fear hit her like a ton of bricks. She certainly wasn't home, not that you could call her current setting a home. It was a barn, complete with stalls and equipment that looked like it hadn't been used in a very long time. The smell coming from the opposite end of the building was disgusting, a mix of animal feces and something she couldn't quite put her finger on. The smell made her feel sick, and she had to fight back the nausea she was feeling.

Bishop got up and looked around. The barn door was slightly ajar, so she walked over and peeked through the crack. She couldn't see anything other than a broken down building in the near distance, which made her feel somewhat discouraged. It would be hard to escape from here if she had been kidnapped. With a sigh, she returned to the bed she had been asleep on and thought. She needed to find an escape...

"You're awake!"

Bishop jumped. She turned to the voice and gasped, shock clouding her features.

"Jake?" she asked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I've been here for the last two days, I think. I woke up in here."

"Why haven't you left yet?"

"I tried to." He held up his wrist. "I got caught, and some guy tied me to the stall just there like an animal." It was a lie, in fact, Jake had been down the other end, tying the rope to a piece of leather around his wrist as a precaution, in case Bishop asked the question she had just asked.

"Come here, let me untie you." Bishop yanked on the leather around Jake's wrist, but it wouldn't come loose.

"I've tried that, Ellie. It's useless."

"If that won't come off, then the rope will." Bishop worked on the knot for a few minutes. "See?" She smiled as the rope came free and dropped to the ground. "Now, where are we?"


	2. Chapter 2

Gibbs was back at work before the sun was up. He hadn't been able to sleep the night before, his stomach was still rolling, making him feel sick. He had tried hard to ignore his gut feeling, but he just couldn't ignore it anymore.

"Agent Gibbs, there's a call for you on line three," said a woman from behind him. "It's a woman, and she sounds scared."

Gibbs picked up his phone. "Agent Gibbs speaking."

"Agent Gibbs, it's Barbara Bishop, Ellie's mother."

"Mrs Bishop, what can I do for you?"

"It's Ellie. Something's wrong. She didn't get here last night. I called the airport, thinking her flight was delayed, but they said it had taken off early. Did she miss the flight?"

"No. I watched her get on the plane. Are you sure she didn't arrive?" Gibbs asked, feeling his stomach start churning again.

"Positive. Nobody knows where she is. I'm really scared."

"Don't worry. I'll find her. Have you called the police?"

"They won't do anything until she's been missing for twenty four hours. Our police are quite lazy up here."

"Okay. I'm sending one of my agents up there now. And if your daughter still hasn't turned up by tomorrow, I'll fly up there to look myself."

"Thank you."

Gibbs hung up, worry filling his every fiber.

* * *

"Where are we?" Bishop asked Jake.

"As far as I can tell, we are in Oklahoma. Maybe somewhere near Claremont. We are on a farm, but so far, nobody has turned up, other than the person that put me here. I would guess that you were grabbed by the same person."

"Was anyone else here when you woke up?"

"A woman. He took her about a day ago, and she never came back." Again, that was a lie, but it fit in with Jake's story.

"Great. How long was she here?"

"About three days, I think."

"Which means that after today, you might be gone too."

"Maybe. But, I will protect you while I can."

Bishop smiled. "Thank you. So, are you and Taylah Matthews still together?"

Jake looked away. "No. After she found out that you knew and that we were getting divorced, she broke up our relationship."

"Gee. You'd think she wanted to have an affair," said Bishop sarcastically. "Anyway, we should try to get out of here, before whoever is keeping us here comes back."

Jake nodded. "Good idea." He took her hand and led her to the barn door. After a quick peek, he said, "it's clear. Let's go."

Bishop opened the door a little wider, then stepped out into the sun. She started walking, then looked back, seeing that Jake was no longer behind her.

"Jake?" she called, looking around her. "Jake!?"

There was no response. Bishop started to head back to the barn, hoping to find Jake somewhere near there, when she felt something heavy hit the back of her head. She dropped to the ground, unconscious. Her head was bleeding slightly where the rock used on her had hit her.

"Sorry, Ellie, but I can't lose you again," whispered Jake as he picked her up and took her back to the barn.

* * *

"Quinn!" Gibbs called when he saw the agent step out of the elevator.

"Yes, Gibbs?"

"I need you on the next plane to Oklahoma."

"Why?"

"I need to find Bishop. I know she made it to Tulsa International late last night. But nobody has seen her since she left the airport. I need you over there to work with the police."

"Gibbs, Bishop is probably at home..."

"Her mother called me to tell me Bishop never arrived. She's missing, and I am not asking you to go. I'm telling you. I am your boss, and this is an order. Do not make me regret putting you on this team."

"Gibbs, that's unfair."

"No. Bishop is your partner, and you are going to find her, now. The last time you decided to disobey me, I almost lost Bishop. Do not make me come looking for you again." Gibbs watched as Quinn turned around in a huff and leave.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Bishop awoke in the barn. Her head was pounding, and her shoulders were in pain. Shifting around onto her side, Bishop discovered that her hands were tied up behind her back. Confusion hit her as she tried to remember what had happened.

"Ellie? Oh, thank god!" Jake exclaimed as he ran over to her. "Are you alright?"

Bishop squinted up at her ex-husband as recognition filled her. She gasped as she realised that he had been right behind her when she had been hit outside the barn.

"You... you did this to me..." she said sadly. "Why?"

"I love you Ellie. I never stopped loving you."

"So what? You decided to tie me up and knock me out just to keep me with you?"

"I had to do something."

"You kidnapped me?!" Bishop sat up as best as she could. "What the hell is your problem?!"

"Sorry, but it was the only thing I could do."

"Let me go, right now!"

"I'm not going to be able to do that."

"Jake, I swear to God, if you don't let me go, this will be the last time you ever see the sun."

"No. I need you to love me again, Ellie."

"That's never going to happen. Especially not now."

"Please, Ellie? Please love me."

"Get away from me." Bishop pushed herself up and took a step away. "Stay away from me!"


	3. Chapter 3

Five hours after Quinn had left NCIS, Gibbs called her cell phone.

"Yes, Gibbs?"

"Have you arrived at Bishop's family home?"

"I have. I spoke to Mrs Bishop. She's been crying all day."

"Did you find anything?"

"Not yet. I'll call as soon as I know."

Gibbs hung up with a sigh. He knew Quinn was lying to him. He could hear a slur when she spoke, and knew she was drinking. He didn't know what he was going to do about her, but right then, he had to focus on finding his missing agent.

"McGee, get me a flight to Oklahoma as soon as possible," Gibbs said as he grabbed his belongings. "I'm on my cell if you guys need me, or if anyone hears anything about Bishop. Torres, call this number and ask for Barbara. When she answers, let her know you work on my team, then ask her if she spoke to Quinn. Tell her I'm on my way."

"Got it," said Nick. He, too, was worried about his new best friend.

* * *

Bishop found herself laying on the bed again. She wasn't sure where Jake had disappeared to after they had argued, but he had been gone for hours. It was dark outside, the stars brighter than she had ever thought possible. She knew it had to be late.

"How am I going to get out of here?" she asked herself as she fell asleep.

* * *

Gibbs arrived in Oklahoma just after midnight and headed straight to the Bishop family's house. He had already been in contact with Barbara, and she was waiting for him. Bishop still hadn't called in, and nobody had heard from her yet. It had been over twenty-four hours since Gibbs had left her at Dulles International. He had also texted McGee once he had landed with a special task- finding out where Quinn was currently. He didn't think he'd hear back until the morning for that, which was fine.

"Agent Gibbs," said Barbara when Gibbs got out of the cab at her home. "Thank you for coming."

"Of course. Ellie is my friend. Have you heard anything yet?"

"No. Come in."

Gibbs followed Barbara into the house and straight through to the living room, which was full of people.

"We haven't spoken with that agent of yours yet."

"I figured. I'll deal with her once I find Ellie."

"How can we be sure that you're going to find my daughter?" asked an older man in the back of the room.

"Andrew!" exclaimed Barbara. "That is rude."

"It's okay, Mrs Bishop. I'll guess that you are Ellie's father?" asked Gibbs.

"I am."

"I promise you, I won't stop until I find her. I've never given up on the people I care about, and I never will. No matter how long it takes, I will keep searching."

Andrew nodded. "Sorry, I shouldn't jump to conclusions. But Ellie is the baby in this family. She is my little girl."

"Understood. I had a daughter too."

"Had? I'm really sorry."

"Thank you. But, right now, we should focus on Ellie. I know you are Ellie's oldest brother, George." Gibbs looked at the man he had met the previous year on Thanksgiving."

"Yeah, that's me. This is Joseph, the second oldest," said George, pointing to a man on the opposite couch. "And this is our youngest brother, Damien." He pointed to the man next to him. "That's my wife, Allison, Joe's wife, Tammy, and Damien's fiancee, Terese."

Gibbs acknowledged everyone. "I thought Ellie had nieces and nephews?"

"They're upstairs, sleeping. They don't know what's going on, just that we all decided to come to their grandparents' house early for Damien's birthday."

"Okay. Now, I plan on heading out right now to look for Ellie. Is there anywhere she could be? Maybe somewhere she might go if she was in trouble?"

"We live about ten minutes from here," said Allison. "She knows that we'll help her if she needs us."

"Or, her best friend, Sam, lives a few streets away," said Damien. "Ellie used to go hide there when she wanted to avoid something or someone."

"That might be a better choice. Does she have a key to your home, George?"

"Of course," answered George. "She has her own room there, probably because she always stays with us if she isn't here. And because she's our favourite babysitter whenever she's in town."

"Can you go home and see if she's there? And does anyone have a phone number for this Sam?"

"I'll call her mother. Sam doesn't actually live there anymore, but she's visiting from out of town at the moment," said Barbara.

"Thank you."

George got up, Allison right behind him. "Dad, can we leave the kids with you for a while?"

"Of course. My angels are always welcome," smiled Andrew. "Go. If Ellie's at your house, bring her home."

* * *

Gibbs and Barbara entered Sam's parent's house about twenty minutes later. The small family looked scared, but none more than a young woman around the same age as Bishop.

"I'm guessing you are Sam," said Gibbs when he saw her.

"Yes. Do you know where El is?" Sam asked.

"I was hoping to ask you for help. I'm told you are best friends?"

"We've been best friends forever. My brother and Damien are friends, that was how we met. El came over with Damien once, and we had so much fun that Damien brought her with him every time he came after that."

"Do you know where Ellie could be?"

"No... Wait, maybe. There was this house, about ten minutes from here, that we used to walk past on the way home from school every day. No-one lives there anymore, but when we were kids, there was this rumour that the people living there were criminals and that they used to kidnap people and lock them in a barn on their property. We were kids, so we believed it. Then, one day, El tripped on a piece of wood that had fallen after a storm. She kept saying she was fine, but she was limping, and you could see she was in pain. I didn't know what to do, so I knocked on the front door of that house, and the woman inside was lovely. She called my mum to come and get us, and she helped El. She told us to come back if we ever needed anything. We never did go back, but if El is close to that house, she might go there. It's a big house, and there are plenty of places to hide."

"Could you take us there in the morning?"

Sam nodded. "I can take you now if you want."

Gibbs was impressed. This woman could make a great detective if she wanted. "That would be great, Sam."

"I'll get a jacket and some shoes." Sam disappeared upstairs, leaving Gibbs and Barbara to wait.


	4. Chapter 4

Bishop woke up to find that she was still in the barn. Her hands were still tied behind her back, and the way she had fallen asleep had only made the pain in her shoulders worse. Looking out the window, Bishop saw that it was still dark outside. Wondering what had woken her, she sat up and listened carefully. After a few minutes, she heard shouts, voices that she didn't recognise. They were calling her name, and she hoped that she wasn't dreaming.

* * *

Gibbs had left Barbara with Sam's parents and called the police in to help him find Bishop. If she was in this house that Sam had mentioned, he didn't want anything to happen to anyone, and the police were far better equipped to handle hostage situations. Currently, Gibbs and a few police officers were outside, searching the farm. Sam was inside the house with the rest of the police officers, looking around for any sign that someone may be there.

"Bishop!" yelled Gibbs as loud as he could.

There was no response. Gibbs made his way over to a barn before calling again. This time, he thought he heard something.

"Bishop!"

"Help!" came a small cry from somewhere to his right.

"Bishop! Is that you?!"

"Please, help me!" came the cry again.

Gibbs turned to his right and headed for the barn, thinking that was where the cry was coming from. He heard a few officers following him, but he didn't wait. As soon as he reached the barn, he pulled open the doors and went in.

* * *

Bishop heard her name clearly this time.

"Bishop!"

"In here," she said quietly, her voice hoarse from not being used. "Help!"

"Bishop!"

"Please, help me!" she managed to shout out loudly.

The door to the barn opened, and Bishop saw several people coming in. She blinked a few times to clear her vision and adjust to the moonlight that was now streaming in. Relief flooded through her body when she recognised Gibbs.

"Bishop, what the hell happened?" Gibbs asked as he bent down to untie her hands.

"It was Jake," Bishop said as tears filled her eyes. "He kidnapped me."

"Why?"

"Apparently so I would love him again."

Gibbs finally untied the rope. "Don't worry, we'll find him and deal with him. Are you hurt?"

"My head has been sore since sometime yesterday afternoon. He knocked me out because I tried to escape. Of course, at that time, I thought he was being held captive too."

Gibbs brought his flashlight closer to Bishop's head. "What did he hit you with?"

"I don't know. Something heavy."

Gibbs touched the back of her head gently, feeling Bishop flinch as he did so. When he pulled his hand away, he could see dry blood there.

"You need to get checked out."

"I just want to go home. I'm tired and cold. I'm hungry and thirsty. I don't even know how long I've been here."

"You've been here roughly a day. It's just past one am on Saturday morning."

"A day? Please, Gibbs, I want to go home."

"As soon as you get your head checked, you can go home."

"I want my mum. Is she here? Where is here?"

"Claremont. You're roughly ten minutes from home. And your mum is at your friend Sam's parents' home, waiting for my phone call."

"Can you ask her to come with me to get checked?"

"Of course." Gibbs helped Bishop up just as someone came into the barn.

"Agent Gibbs, we found him inside the house. Miss Hale said his name is Jake. What would you like us to do with him?" a police officer asked.

"Take him into custody. He kidnapped Agent Bishop here." Gibbs glared at Jake. "Is Sam still in the house?"

"No. An officer is taking her home now."

"Good. Please call an ambulance. My agent needs to be checked out."

The officer nodded. He handed Jake over to another officer to be arrested while he called for an ambulance. While they waited, Gibbs called Barbara.

"Did you find her?" Barbara asked immediately.

"We did. I have Ellie with me. An ambulance is on the way to check her out, then I'll bring her home. If she needs to go to a hospital, I'll let you know."

"I'm on my way there right now. I need to be with my little girl."

"I understand. I was going to ask you to come down here."

"I'll be there in less than ten minutes. I'm leaving right now."

Gibbs smiled a little as he hung up. He turned to Bishop.

"Your mum is on her way over right now. She'll be here before the ambulance."

* * *

Ten minutes later, Barbara pulled up outside the abandoned house. Police cars were everywhere, their lights flashing blue and red, and lighting up the entire street. There were people outside their homes, despite the early hour, to see what was happening. It was a small town, and majority of it knew that Bishop had gone missing. Everyone had promised the Bishop family that they would keep an eye out for their youngest family member, but nothing had come of it. Until now.

Barbara rushed up to the first police officer she saw. "Where's my daughter?" she demanded.

"Mrs Bishop," said Gibbs calmly. "Ellie is inside. Come with me."

Barbara let out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding and followed Gibbs. As soon as she was inside, she found her daughter talking to a couple of police officers. She looked like she was crying, which broke Barbara's heart.

"Ellie, honey?" she asked as she joined her daughter on the couch.

"Mum." Bishop let her mother hug her, enjoying the warmth and comfort the hug provided.

"Can I take her home?"

"Sorry, ma'am. Not yet. Paramedics should be arriving any minute now to check her. You'll have to wait until they determine whether or not she needs to go to a hospital," one officer said. "And we need to get the rest of her statement."

"Can that wait until later today?"

"Ms Bishop informed us that she wanted to get it over with now."

"Okay." Barbara stayed quiet while Bishop spoke.

* * *

Bishop felt relieved when she finished making her statement and the paramedics had arrived. All she wanted right then was to go home with her mother and sleep in a place that she knew was safe.

"Ms Bishop, I need to check the back of your head. I'm sorry for any pain that it may cause," the paramedic said in advance.

Bishop just nodded. She allowed the medic to work, trying very hard not to move. She didn't want to go to the hospital if she could avoid it.

A few minutes passed, then the medic sat on the coffee table in front of Bishop.

"You should be fine in a couple of days. I suggest that you head home and get some sleep right now."

Bishop was up in no time, still clinging to Barbara. "Thank you," she said quietly before letting her mum lead her to the car.


	5. Chapter 5

Gibbs was relieved to find that Bishop wasn't too badly hurt. He watched as she got into the car with her mother and headed home, then went back inside.

"Jake Malloy needs to be charged. I understand that he did all of this in Oklahoma, and that I have no jurisdiction, but I want to be kept informed on what happens with him. And I will be taking that young lady home to DC when she's ready to go, whether this goes to trial or not."

"We understand, Agent Gibbs. Mr Malloy will definitely be charged with kidnapping, unlawful detainment and assault of a federal agent. Ms Bishop's statement is enough to probably work out a deal, but even if this does go to trial, we are a small town, and often we do not ask the victims to come in," an officer informed Gibbs.

"Thank you." Gibbs turned around, but then looked back. "Could you tell me where the nearest bar is that would still be open at this time? I have something else that I need to deal with while I'm here."

"There are a few bars roughly half an hour away that you could try. Most people are probably at home at this time of the night though."

"That's fine. The woman I'm looking for is visiting the state, and I doubt she's gone back to her hotel yet."

* * *

Bishop had fallen asleep by the time her mother pulled into the driveway. Barbara had already sent a message to Andrew, asking him to get their daughter from the car so they wouldn't have to wake her.

"Barb, is she alright?" Andrew asked as he carefully lifted his daughter into his arms.

"The medics said she may have a headache for a couple of days, but she should be fine. She's exhausted and hasn't eaten anything for a day, but otherwise she fine, physically anyway."

"Who took her? Do the police know?"

"They know, alright. It was Jake. He kidnapped her so he could force her to love him. He's in custody, and I doubt he'll be getting away with this. Agent Gibbs was pretty pissed off about all of this."

"I'm glad Ellie has him in her corner. It makes me feel better, knowing that she's got people who love her surrounding her all the time."

"Me too." Barbara heard a small sigh from their daughter. "Maybe we should take her upstairs. We can discuss this after everyone's gotten some sleep. No doubt the kids will want their Aunt Ellie when they wake up."

Andrew smiled. He agreed with his wife. Their grandchildren absolutely adored their aunty. With a sigh of his own as he thought of what his daughter had just gone through, Andrew headed inside, quieting his family with one look, and took Bishop up to her bedroom.

* * *

Gibbs was relieved to find Quinn in the first bar he went to. She was sitting at a table, chatting up some guy that Gibbs didn't care about.

"Alexandra Quinn," he said when he reached her.

Quinn groaned as she looked up. "What Gibbs? I did what you asked me to do."

"No, actually, you didn't. I asked you to speak with the Bishop family, which you did not..."

"Sorry to interrupt, but did you just say Bishop?" the man at the table asked. "Their daughter has been missing for over a day now..."

"She's been found," Gibbs told the guy before turning back to Quinn. "No thanks to you, by the way. I asked you to find your partner, and all you did was head to the nearest bar and get drunk. You are in trouble, and I will discuss this further with you once you sober up. Let's go."

Gibbs dragged Quinn out of her seat and out to the car, paying for the drinks on the way out.

* * *

Bishop woke up at eleven am. She felt refreshed. Opening her eyes properly, she noticed that the sun was streaming into the room, and she could hear children laughing and shouting outside.

"Oh, honey, good morning," said Barbara as she came into the room. "I was just about to check in and see how you are. Are you ready to get up?"

"Yes." Bishop smiled. "I'm so glad Gibbs came in when he did, mum."

"Me too. And so are the rest of the family."

"Are they all here?"

"Yes. Everyone wants to see you. Your father and I explained everything that happened, so if you don't feel like talking about it, you don't have to."

"Thank you." Bishop looked out the window. "Is that my favourite three munchkins by the way?"

"Of course. They're busy playing tag, I think. Why don't you get ready and then come downstairs. I'll be putting lunch out pretty soon."

"I'll be down in a bit. I want a shower first."

Barbara nodded. "You can use the one in my bedroom if you want. I'll see you in a bit."

* * *

After her shower, Bishop made her way downstairs. She knew that her family would be worried about her, but she really hoped they had the sense to leave the topic alone at the moment. She wasn't ready to talk about what had happened, and certainly wasn't interested in talking about Jake just then.

"Good morning sweetheart," said Andrew when he walked past the staircase and saw Bishop coming down. "Did you get a good sleep?"

"Yeah." Bishop gave her dad a smile. "Thank you."

"Need a hug?"

Bishop nodded. Her dad always knew what to do to help. A hug was perfect right then.

"Are you hungry? Your mother is almost finished with lunch."

"I know, she already told me. Before I eat, I want to cuddle my cute angels. Are they still outside?"

"I just brought them in to wash up for lunch. They're in the living room." Andrew kissed her head before letting her go.

Bishop couldn't help smiling when she entered the living room and found three sets of eyes staring up at her. She opened her arms wide and enveloped the three kids in a bear hug.

"I've missed you guys so much!" she exclaimed when she let them go.

"We missed you too, Aunt Ellie," said the oldest of the three, Kayla.

"Have you been good for your parents?"

"Of course," said Sally, the youngest, as she grinned mischievously.

"You are a very bad liar, missy," laughed Bishop as she cuddled Sally again.

"When did you get here?" asked Daniel.

"Very early this morning."

"We didn't see you at breakfast."

"Because I was fast asleep in bed upstairs."

"Are you three bothering Aunt Ellie?" asked George as he entered the living room.

"No dad," said Kayla and Daniel in unison.

"It's okay George," said Bishop.

"Go and play until lunch you three, but stay in the house." George turned to his sister. "I have missed you, El."


	6. Chapter 6

"I missed you too, George," said Bishop once they had hugged each other.

"Are you feeling better? Mum mentioned that you had to be checked out my medics."

 _So much for not discussing it,_ thought Bishop with a sigh. "I'm okay. Gibbs just wanted to make sure that I was alright."

"I'm really glad that he looks out for you, Ellie. Mum and dad aren't the only ones that worry about you. We all do."

"I know. I worry about everyone back here too, you know."

"Why? None of us have dangerous doctors. Except maybe dad."

"Dad is a pediatrician. He's not in any danger."

"So, that means no-one here has a dangerous job. Don't worry about us, El."

"Can't help it. Just like you can't help worrying about me."

"There you are George," said Allison as she entered the room. "Hi Ellie."

"Hey, Allison."

"Lunch is ready. Barbara asked me to come and find the two of you."

"Great. I'm starving!" Bishop grinned at her brother. "I'm guessing you didn't tell your kids what happened. So do not mention it again."

George sighed. "You have great timing Allison," he said as they walked out. "I almost got her to open up."

"Did you stop to think that maybe Ellie isn't ready to talk about what she went through? Why do you always push her?"

"She's my baby sister. I have to look out for her."

"She's an adult, not a child. She can look after herself." Allison smiled. "Don't bring it up in here, okay? Let her come to you when she's ready."

* * *

Lunch went off without a hitch. Bishop found that all her brothers wanted to talk about was Damien's birthday, which was good for her. She was still tired, and she didn't want to talk about anything right then. Her brothers had always been loud and never let her get a word in, and that hadn't changed.

"Ellie, do you want more?" Andrew asked when he noticed that her plate was empty.

"No thank you, dad. I'm full."

"Are you okay? You look like you're far away from here."

"I'm good. I was just thinking about something that I witnessed a few weeks ago."

"At work?"

"No. In a restaurant. The team went out for dinner to celebrate Gibbs' birthday. There was this family a few tables away. They reminded me of the boys, with the way they all talk at once, but still seem to have a proper conversation."

Andrew smiled. "It made you miss this?"

"Sort of. I miss you guys all the time."

"Our door is always open if you want to come back. I'm sure we can find a job for you somewhere around here."

"Not happening dad. I love NCIS, and I love the team. I don't want to leave them." Bishop looked back at her family for a moment. "Speaking of which: I want to go back to DC on Monday. Is that okay? I know that Joey is taking his family home after Damien's party tomorrow. And I know Damien is taking Terese home tomorrow night."

"You can do whatever you want to sweetheart. But why do you want to go so early?"

"I don't know. I guess because of the last day or so? Maybe because I know that he's here still, even if he's in jail? I need to get away from him. Just for a little while."

"Then you head home if you need to. I'll book you a ticket for Monday afternoon if I can."

"You would?"

"Of course. You are my little girl and I'll do anything to help you."

"Thanks dad. You're the best." Bishop gave him a smile and then leaned over to hug him.

* * *

Gibbs woke up after roughly nine hours of sleep, the longest he had gotten in quite a while. He needed the energy and strength that day if he was going to deal with Quinn's behaviour and blatant disregard of the rules. He was still pissed with her. It would have been so easy for Bishop to have died in that barn because Quinn hadn't done her job. He knew that even if she had done her job, Bishop could have died anyway, but the chances would have been much lower.

Gibbs couldn't eat anything for breakfast, so he just grabbed a small coffee. His stomach was churning with what he was about to do, because as much as he knew it was deserved, he hated to be cruel to people.

"Quinn, come with me," he said a few minutes later when he found his agent in the hotel lounge, reading a newspaper.

"Can I go home now that Bishop is safe?" Quinn asked.

"You'll be heading home by the end of the day, yes. First, though, we have something to discuss."

"So you said this morning. What do you want to talk about?"

"You. Your behaviour."

"Excuse me?"

"Your behaviour lately is getting worse. It's getting harder to ignore. I get that I put you into a hard situation by sending you to Philadelphia, but you went above and beyond to make sure that you didn't work on that case. You left your partner alone in a dangerous situation that could have ended badly if Reeves wasn't there to back Bishop. You came home to DC after the case, and that behaviour continued. Bishop keeps protecting you, but that should not have to happen. I don't know how many times I've been asked to switch the partnerships around because no-one on the team is comfortable working with you. And you haven't shown me evidence to prove that you can work with the team when you're in the field. I thought that I was going to have trouble getting Torres to work as part of a team, but he's adapted so much better than you have. You constantly leave your partners alone, and I can't understand why. How many times do you need to be reprimanded before you listen, Quinn?"

"I do listen."

"No, you don't. I asked you yesterday to fly out here and meet with Bishop's family. I asked you to get as much information as you could and then look for your partner. You didn't do any of that. Instead, you chose to go find a bar and drink. When I called to find out what was happening, you lied to me. I'm your boss, Quinn, you can't be lying to me."

"I never wanted to go in the first place."

"I know that. But I asked you because Bishop is your partner. You need to learn to work with your partner, because you aren't working by yourself."

"I know how to work with other people. I've been doing it for years."

"No, you stopped working with other people when you left field work. For the past several years, you have been teaching people. It's not the same."

"What do you want from me then?"

Gibbs sighed. "As much as this hurts me, I can't have you on my team. You can't work with the rest of the team, and you don't seem to care that your partner needed you yesterday. I'm sorry, but I've spoken to the director, and we agree that you either need to find another team to work on, or go back to teaching at FLETC."

"You're firing me?"

"I am." Gibbs stood up. "It was great seeing you again, Alex, but I can't work with you. Sorry."

Quinn stood up in a huff. "Fine. Don't expect me to send you anymore agents though." She walked off, leaving Gibbs feeling horrible.


	7. Chapter 7

**Two Days Later**

Bishop hugged her parents goodbye at Tulsa International Airport on Monday afternoon. She missed them already, but she wanted to go back to DC, back to her friends at work. She had no idea that Quinn had been sent to look for her, or that Gibbs had fired her. She hadn't spoken about anything to do with work since she had left DC the week before.

"Have a safe flight, honey," said Barbara. "Don't forget to at least send us a message when you land."

"Don't worry mum. I'll be home by five and I'll call as soon as I get off the plane," said Bishop. "I love you guys."

"We love you too Ellie," said Andrew. "Don't be a stranger. Come and visit us soon."

"Of course, dad." Bishop hugged them again, then stepped away, heading for the gate her flight was leaving from. Gibbs was waiting for her, having booked a seat on the same flight.

* * *

"How are your parents?" Gibbs asked once they were seated next to each other on the plane. "I'll bet they didn't want you to leave."

"No, they don't," said Bishop. "But they understand that I'm an adult and that I don't live in Claremore anymore. They understand that I have a job in DC and that the team is my second family. As long as I keep in touch and visit lots, they're okay."

"They care about you."

"Yeah, they do." Bishop smiled. "Gibbs, I never did thank you for finding me. Thank you so very much."

"I never leave a man, or woman for that matter, behind. Are you feeling any better about that?"

"Yes. I saw a doctor this morning, and my head is fine. He said to take it easy for another couple of days, but I'm okay to go back to work when I'm ready. Which I am," she added, seeing Gibbs' look.

"Well, you can come back tomorrow. I guarantee that the team will be glad to see you. Especially Torres. He's been very worried about you."

"Really?"

"Yes. He calls you his new best friend."

Bishop laughed. "Of course he does. I missed him the most actually. I don't know what it is about him, but he has that personality that makes everyone want to spend time with him."

* * *

Four hours later, the plane touched down in DC. Bishop and Gibbs were off the plane and out of the airport in no time, having only a small carry on bag each. Bishop took her phone out and turned it on, ready to call her parents and let them know she was home.

"Call from the car," said Gibbs. "McGee is picking us up now."

Bishop looked up and found her teammate standing next to a car, a giant smile lighting up his face.

"Welcome home," he said to Bishop as he engulfed her in a hug.

"I've only been gone a few days."

"But, for almost two of those days, nobody knew where you were, and we were all worried about you."

Bishop smiled. "Thank you," she said as she climbed into the back of the car. "It is nice to be back home."

* * *

Tuesday morning came slowly for Bishop. She couldn't wait to go back to work and see her friends. When she finally arrived at her desk, however, she noticed that something had changed.

"Hi, Nick," she said distractedly as she tried to figure out what was different.

"You okay, Ellie?" Nick asked as he put his belongings on his desk and looked over.

"Yeah. Did something change while I was gone?"

"Uh, Gibbs didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Quinn is gone. Gibbs fired her."

"What? Why?"

"Because she's a danger and a liability. His words, not mine."

"I don't understand."

"Don't understand what, Bishop?" Gibbs asked as he walked in.

"You fired Quinn?"

"I did. I can't have an agent on my team that doesn't want to listen and follow the rules. I can't have you partnered with someone that only cares about getting herself drunk."

"I'm confused. I know what happened in Philly, but I don't think that was worth being fired over, especially weeks down the track."

"Bishop, I sent Quinn to find you on Friday. She chose to go and drink from the moment she landed in Oklahoma. I only found you because she didn't do her job."

Bishop frowned, hurt. She had liked Quinn, and she felt that this wasn't fair. "Are you serious?"

"Sorry." Gibbs knew that this was hurting Bishop.

"Don't be." Bishop shrugged. "If she was only pretending to care, to like me, so be it. It's not the first time, and it won't be the last time. So, what work are we doing today?"


End file.
